Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-07

eompara,ieely a few use the imported articles
millions Of our people who never use ana
never saw any OF me ioie,sn ha p ssme
kind made In this country. AMI pay ihoreior
nearly or ouife the same danced p ice Nhich
tho duty adds - the imported articles. hV1e
who buy imports pay the duty chats.l W, ' ~
into the public treasury. but the rfeht maturity
Of our citizans who buy domestic articles OF the
same class pay n sum ut Least approAimAley
equal 10 this duty 70 the home mat ~ ~.
This reference 20 The operation OF our lhilh ll -
IL moi made by way VI instruction, bat n oflcF
that We may be constantly reminded Oh mo
manner I'm which they impose n burden upon
those who consume domestic products n Won as
those who consume Imported articles, anu mus
create tn upon all our people.
PROTECTION AND LABOR
It's not proposed 20 entirely relieve The coun-
try OF this taxaiion. II must be extensively con-
tlnued a. the source Of the G0vornmcntr income,
and IN n raadlu.tment Of our tnrlH tho lLieintH
~ American labor engaged Ia mahullctuIc
should De carefully considered, as Won as the
preservation q our manufactures. IL may 20
called protection or by any other name out re-
iiof from the hardshils ADD dangers OF or Ifts-
ent tariff laws should be devised WIN especial
precautiOn against impenning tho existence OF
our manufacturing interests, but this existence
should rot mean a condition which. without re-
gard 20 the public flare orr national e1iEency,
must always insure the realization oi immenso
profits inaicad Of moderately prohtaplo returns
ties iucresse now recruits are added 70 those VINO
desire a continuation 81 the advantages when
they conceive the p esent system or tarln TAX
alton directly affords them. StubbOrnly nave
all efforts 20 reform the present condition been
resisted by those Of our fellOw-ciiizens thus on
gagged: 20 that they can hardly complain oil the
suspicion entertained 20 certain extent that
there exists an organized combination all along
the line 10 maintain their advantage.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS.
Vro a,c in the r,f1st ~ cenfeuuinl caiebraf ions
and with becoming pride We reioiced In Ameri-
can skill and ingenuity, In American energy ana
enterprise, and in the wonderful Latufal al
yantages and resources developed by n century
national growth. Yet when an attempt 4 made
to Justify scheme which permits tax 10 ne
laid upon every consumer in the land Tor the
bonent Of our manufacturers quite beyond
reasonable demand for governmental regard, It
suits the purposes Of advocacy 70 call our manu-
features infant industries still needing the
highest and greater degree Of favor and fostering
care that con be wrung from Federal legislation.
TIE MATTER or WAGES.
II is also said that the increase in the price Of
domestic manufactures resulting from The
present tariff i, Necessary IN order that higher
wages may be paid 10 our worHnemcn employed
IN manufactures than Is paid for what Il called
The pauper labor Of Europe. All viii acknow-
ledge the force of an argument which involves
the welfare and liberal compensation OF our
labOring people Our labor Is honorable In tho
eyes OF every American citizen. and as II lies az
the foundation OF our development ana
progress. II is entitled without atect8ton or
hypocrisy 20 the utmost regard. The standard
OF our laDOrcr should not be measured BY that OF
any other country less favored, and they are
entitled 10 their full share Of all our adyan-
tages.
BY the last census Il Is made 20 appear that OF
the Il ,2q2,0J9 OF our population engaged In all
kinds OF industries, 5,51J,4e3 are employed 10
agriculture, 4.0l.2S In professional aud per-
aOnal service (29jf,SlO o. WnOm are domestic SER
wants aud labOrers), Will 1910, 250 are employed
In trade and nspOratlOn.a ,il2 are class
ed a. employed In manufacturing and mining.
For present purposes, however, the last number
Given should be considerably reduced. Without
attempting 10 enumerato all, IL will boz con-
coded that there should be deducted from those
which 10 includes G5.li3 carpenters aud iOlnes
2sj,iU millincra, drcssmakers. and seam
stresses: l12126 blacksmths. 1876 tailOrs aud
addresses. 10s 40 masOns, 76,2i butchers, 4lJ9
makers. 240s3 plastcrcrs, and 1881 engaged IN
manufacturing agricultural implements, aggre-
eating i,2l40S3, leaving 262l,Os9 persons en-
plCycd In such manufacturing Industries rs
are claimed 10 be benefited by high tarlh.
10 these tho appeal IA made 10 save their en-
plOymcnt and maintain their wages by resisting
o change There should be no disposition % All
sWer such suggestions by the allegation that
they are In a minority among those who labor,
and should therefore fOrcgO An advantage In the
interest Of low prices for tho majority. Their
compensation, IS 1t may be affected by tho ope-
ration Of tarih laws, should at al limos re
g rupulOusly kept IN view. And yet Will slight
reflection they will not overlook the fact that
they are consumers with the rest; that, they,
too. have thoir own wants and those OF THOR
families 10 supply from their earnings, ana
that the price OF the nccessar.os Of life as we'll
a. the amount Of their wages will regulate the
measure OF their welfare and comfort But the
reduction Of taxation demanded should De 80
measured as not 10 nccessitate or justify either
the loss Of employment by the workingman or
the lessening Of his wages: and the profits still
remaining TO the manufacturer afiera necessary
rCadjusiment should furnish no excuse for The
sacrifice OF tho interests OF his employees either
in their opportunity 10 work or IN tho dminu-
ton Of their compensation. NOr can the work.
ers I'm manufa tories fail TO Understand
that while a high tariff Is claimed 10
lo necessary 10 allow the payment OF
remuneratiye wages il certainly results ia
n very large Increase I'm tho price Of
nearly all sorts Of manufactures which In almost
countless forms he needs for the use Of him
self and his family. He receives at the desk Of
his employer his wages, and perhaps before he
reaches his home Is obliged 10 purchase for
family use an article which embraces his own
labor 10 return In the paymentoi the increase in
price which the tarin permits the hard-earned
compensation OF many days Of toll.
TIE FARMER.
Tue farmer and the agriculturist. who manu-
facture nothing bus who pay the Increased pro-
rate which the tarid imposes upon every agri-
cultural implement, upon all he wears, aud
upon all no uses and owns except the increase
Of his hocks and herds and such things as his
husbandry produces from The soil. is invited %
aid in maintaining the present situation, aud he
"a told that high duty on imported wool u ne
cessary for the benefit Of those who have sheep
10 shear in order shat the price OF their wool
may be increased They, ~ course. are not
reminded that the farmer who has no
sheep IS by this scheme obliged In his
purchase OF clothing and WOOllen goods 10
pay tribute TO his fellOw-iarmer rs well a. 10
the manufacturer and merchant Nor Is any
mention made OF the fact that the sheep-0wners
themselves and heir household must wear
clothing and use other articles manufactured
from tho wool they cell at tarin prices. and thus
a. consumers must return their share Of this in
creased price TO the tradosman. ] think II may
DO fairly assumed that large proportion Of the
sheep owned by the farmers throughout the
country are found in small nocks numl ering
from twenty-five 10 fifty. The duty on the grade
Of imported wool which these sheep yield Is ten
cents on each pound II Of the value Of thirty
cents or less, and twelve cents IL OF
II tho liberal estimate Of six pounds be allowed
for each fleece tho duty thereon would be sixty
on soyoniy-twO cents, and this may be taken "a
the utmost enhancement OF the price 70 the
farmer by reason OF this duty. Eighteen dollars
would thus represent the increased price Of the
wool from twenty-five sheep, and thirty-sx dol
lars that from the wool OF fifty sheep; aud ut
present values this addition wneld amount 70
about one third OF It's price. II upon its solo tho
farmer receives this or n less tariff profit the
wool leaves his hands charged with precisely
that sum, which in all it, changes viii al
here % Il until 10 reaches the consumer.
When manufactured into cloth ami mato-
rial for use It's cost Is not only Increased 20
the extent OF the farmers tariff pro. B., but fur
Their sum has been added for the benefit Of The
manufacturer under the operation Of other tari4
laws. In the mean time the day arrives when
the farmer finds 10 necessary % purchase woOllen
clothes and material 10 clothe himself and fami-
ly for the winter. When he faces the tradesman
for that purpose he discovers that he Is obliged
u nnIW IN Of rtfa0I
his tariff profit on the wool he sold. and which
then. perhaps. lies before him In manufactured
form, but that he must add a considerable sum
thereto 20 meet further increase IL cost caused
by a tariff duty on the manufacture. Thus In The
end be is aroused 10 the tact that he has paid
upon moderate purchase a. a result Of the
taud scheme which when he sold his wool
seemed 80 profitable. an increase in price more
than sufficient TO sweep away all tho tariff profit
he received upon tho wool he produced and sold.
TUE SHALL NUMBER OF wooL-RAIsERs
When the nu nbcr OF farmers engaged I'm wool.
raising Is compared with all the farmers Of the
country. and the small proportion they bear 10
our population H. considered when IL 81 made
apparent that In the case OF large part OF those
VINO own sheep the benefit OF the present tariff
on wool IS illusory and, above all, when II must
be conceded that the Increase OF tho cost Of
living caused by such tariff becomes a burden
upon those with moderate means and the poor,
the employed and unemployed, the sick and
tutes tax which with relentless grasp Is fas-
tened upon the clothing Of oyery man, woman,
and child 10 the land. reasons are suggested
nv rafuOVal FoIuotiOu of thiz Ia 81 Ia